Depends on your interpretation of "crazy expensive". Blast cabinets are unique in the tool world.... in that there isn't any "mid grade" stuff out there. It's either cheap, and barely works, or if you want it to work well, it's expensive. There are a few that fall between $500-$1K, but those have heavier metal in the cabinets....but still include the cheap/cheesy blast guns that barely function.
That being said, the two most important parts of any blast cabinet, are the abrasive gun, and the compressor that runs the cabinet. Since there is little difference in the actual cabinet portions of any blast cabinet, here's the solution I came up with.....
I purchased one of the "cheap" standup cabinets from HF....
https://www.harborfreight.com/40-lb-capacity-floor-blast-cabinet-68893.html but, instead of using the cheesy blast gun that came with it, I purchased this one.......
https://www.eastwood.com/eastwood-blast-cabinet-foot-pedal-and-gun.html
I already own/use a good Ingersol Rand 5ph/2 stage/12 cfm @ 90psi compressor..... Still, in my setup, the compressor is the weak link. Anything more then a couple of blades to blast, and I have to stop and let the compressor catch up.
For you, since you're needing smaller....... I'd say the benchtop version of from HF would suffice, and the gun I listed above. That is, provided you have a compressor that will suffice. Otherwise, without a compressor that will run the blast gun CORRECTLY/EFFICIENTLY you'll just be spinning your wheels. The good part is.... once you have the compressor and the that gun from Eastwood..... you can install they gun in just about any blast cabinet.... what that does, is open the door to buying a used cabinet..... (Hint: a lot of people buy the HF cabinets for "special projects", then when they find that the included guns don't work worth a squat, they never think to upgrade the blast gun, but rather they will try to get rid of them for whatever they can....usually on FB marketplace or Craigslist.) If you find a used cabinet for cheap, just buy it, and then install the eastwood gun/pedal in a used cabinet. Then if you need/want to upsize down the road, you can just change out the blast gun.
